Sam Mantom has been linked with a possible move to Huddersfield Town, with suggestions the Walsall midfielder could be brought in by Mark Robins to boost the engine room numbers.
Tom Marshall-Bailey assesses the 22-year-old and why Town might be considering a move.
Who is he?
Mantom is a 22-year-old all-action midfielder who was schooled at Walsall and then West Bromwich Albion before returning to the Saddlers for a second spell.
He was a regular in the Baggies' reserve side but was unable to prise his way into first-team reckoning at the Hawthorns despite penning professional terms.
The midfielder spent time on loan at various clubs, including Haukar of the Icelandic first division, Tranmere Rovers and Oldham Athletic before two respective loan spells at the Bescot Stadium.
He made three first-team outings during his time at the Hawthorns and drew praise on his debut from former boss Michael Appleton after an assured midfield display in a 2-0 win over Leyton Orient.
Having impressed at Walsall, however, he signed a permanent deal to move to the Saddlers on a free transfer and, including his loan spells, Mantom has now scored 10 goals in 67 appearances for the club.
How much will he cost?
Town would be expected to fork out a fee believed to be in the region of £750,000 for the player, whose contract does not run out until the summer of 2016.
Regardless of the fact Mantom arrived on a free, Walsall will surely be eager to receive enough money for their talismanic midfielder to not only identify a suitable replacement but also strengthen other areas of the team.
Given Huddersfield midfielder Adam Clayton could be the subject of a bid twice as much as that, Huddersfield would be in a position to press ahead with an offer should they sell their own star playmaker.
Mark Robins has acted shrewdly in the market to this point by snapping up two experienced free transfers in Joe Murphy and Lee Peltier but any potential move for Mantom would represent his biggest business of the summer.
Do Walsall want to sell him?
Having penned a new two-and-a-half-year deal with the club in November of last year, the indications are that neither the player nor the club are actively entertaining any bids for their prized asset.
The Saddlers hold all the cards given his contractual status and, having won the club's Player of the Year award last term, Mantom would appear to be content with life at the Bescot.
Having made 48 appearances in 2013/2014, and scoring five goals in the process, Mantom was the key cog in the Walsall side last season and, unless Town's fears are realised and Clayton does depart, there would be no assurances that the Walsall man could command an automatic first-team place, let alone the same status he currently holds.
With precious few central midfield alternatives to call upon, Saddlers boss Dean Smith will be particularly loathe to lose not only his star man but also in an area of the pitch where he is not blessed with a host of options.
What sort of player is he?
One possible worry for Town fans regarding any move for Mantom is the idea of him being the heir apparent to Clayton at the John Smith's Stadium.
The two players actually have a remarkably similar style of play, offering goals and assists from midfield with a good range of passing and an ability to cover the ground in the middle third.
Mantom is ostensibly a box-to-box workhorse with the poise of a No.10 and a knack for scoring from range, which was evidenced regularly in 2013/2014, with his goals against Rotherham United and Oldham Athletic particularly eye-catching.
He also possesses a truculent side to his game, with three yellow cards and a sending-off in a 2-1 defeat at Preston North End last term epitomising his hunger for a tackle.
If Mantom were to arrive at Town, he would most probably be stationed in a similar role to Clayton and allowed to express himself further forward than the rest of the midfield.
He is unlikely to be permanently positioned in a defensive midfield role but, with the same token, he would not be an out-and-out attacking midfielder either.
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